The Black Angels
Book description
Black Angels tells the true story of 300 black nurses who changed the course of history, beginning in 1929 when white nurses staged a walk out at Staten Island's 2000-bed TB sanatorium, threatening New York with a public health catastrophe. City health officials made a radical decision to sanction a…
Why read it?
4 authors picked The Black Angels as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
When it comes to writing and reading history, I’m particularly partial to the “group portrait.” Don’t get me wrong—I love a good biography of a single person—but there’s just something about telling the story of multiple people in the same position or movement that really makes for a dynamic story.
This book sheds light on the remarkable story of the Black women nurses who cared for the poorest victims of New York’s tuberculosis epidemic of the 1930s. It’s a deeply researched and caringly written tale showing the dedication and persistence of some of the most important, yet underappreciated medical professionals…
From Olivia's list on the history of women in science.
A powerful true story of the courageous Black nurses who worked at a sanatorium in New York City in the 1920s and 30s, doing the job nobody else wanted to do: caring for victims of tuberculosis, long before there was a cure. These remarkable women came to the city, lured by promises of good pay, a career, and a life away from the injustices of Jim Crow, only to find themselves isolated in a dreary hospital where patients were sent to die an often gruesome and slow death. Erased from history until now, these nurses played a vital role in…
As part of my work as a tour guide and history author, I’m always on the lookout for books that explore lesser-known aspects of New York City’s history. This is an extraordinary read with beautifully researched and crafted writing. There were so many little details she provided that I thought made this book stand out.
It started in 1929 when White nurses taking care of tuberculosis patients at Seaview Hospital on Staten Island started quitting en masse for various reasons. With promises of better pay and to escape Jim Crow, Black nurses from the South came to the hospital to…
From Marie's list on history about working women in New York City.
The Black Angels contains all the things I crave in a book: heroic women who’ve been erased from history; women who took on the prejudices of society and refused to be kept down; glorious writing that weaves a riveting story with characters I came not only to admire, but also to love.
From Jan's list on exploring the world from a female point of view.
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